Aerial multimine



arch 3, 1942. E, BICKEL AERIAL MULTIMINE Filed Oct. 51, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 3, 1942. E. BlcKl-:L

AERIAL MULTIMINE Filed Oc. 3l, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 Ee/cHEcK-EL, /fw

A'IT RNEY.

Patented Mar. 3, 1942 AERIAL MULT i'ch Bickd. dell near Zurich, Switzerland application October 31, 1938, Serial No. 237,952

in Switzeriand March 18, 1937 laims.

The present invention relates to a modification ci the air defense system which forms the sub- .lect matter of my copending application Ser. No. 166,921, :died Oct. 2, 1937.- The projectiles according to the present invention contain a plurality of individual aerial mines which may be laid out simultaneously or consecutively. Each individual mine comprises a mine proper, a carrier, for example, a parachute, and a long, thin flexible member, such as a wire, interconnecting the carrier and the mine proper.

ln the case of projectiles containing one mine only such as disclosed in my copending applications Ser. No. 166,921 and Ser. No. and being designed to be shot extremely high and therefore being of large caliber, there is much space available in the projectile and if this space is used up the wire spool is large and the wire is several miles long. Although the long wires produce large barrages, their unwinding and laying out takes'considerable time what vis in many cases not desirable. On the other hand, there are 4cases Where the quick layingout of a curtain of considerable Width is desired. For such conditions the multi-mine according to the present invention is the answer.

(@lass b-29) As said above, the projectiles according to the present invention may be constructed to lay out plurality of individual mines simultaneously or one after the other. in 'the former case the individual mines are arranged in the projectile as a bundle, i. e. .are located around the axis of the projectile, and in the latter case they are piled up on top oi one another. in the formercase the mines are laid out at the` same elevation above 'the ground and the curtain or barrage has the form ci a cylinder of circular or elliptic cross section. in the iatter case the individual carriers are dotted in 'the air along the path of projectile and the wires with the mines hang ir Wn therefrom in a plane. ln the former case a protective curtain can quickly be produced Figure 2 is a cross section of the mine shown in Fig. 1 and taken along line 2-2.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified multi-mine according to the present invention.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the mine shown in Fig. 3 and taken along line tin Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic showing of a phase of the laying out operation of a multi-mine according to Figs. l and 2.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of another phase of the laying out of one individual mine of a multi-mine according to the present invention.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic showing of a mine barrage formed by a multi-mine as shown 1n Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 8 is a phase of the laying out operation of the modiiied multi-mine shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 4

Figure 9 is another phase of the laying out opertion of the modified mine shown in Figs. 3 and Figure 10 is a diagrammatic showing of an air defense curtain produced by the modified mine according to Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the path of the projectile is substantially at.

Figure 1l is a diagrammatic showing of an air defense curtain produced by the modified mine according to Figs. 3 and 4 whereby the path of around the object to be protected, for example,

a battle ship,` an airport, an ammunition plant, etc. in the latter case a long stretched curtain along the paths of the projectiles which paths in case may be held rather fiat can be produced quickly to form a barrage for shielding long stretched objects, ior example, roads crowded with marching troops, stationary defense lines, i

the projectile is substantially steep.

Like parts are designated by like numerals in all figures of the drawings.

The projectile illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 contains live individual mines. i designates a conventional time fuse. is the' body member cf the projectile into which the fuse is inserted, and 3 is the shell which may be pressed on to the body member 2. l is an individual mine which is shown in elevation at the right and in section at the left side of Fig. i. diagrammatically shows an impact detonator which is not shown in detail as such detonators per se are not subject of the present invention. d is the mine proper with the destructive charge; 'i is the wire spool which, in

the embodiment of the invention shown, surrounds the mine proper; 8 is a capsule which contains the folded up parachute d. By the provision ci slots it capsule 8 is made to open resilientiy unless held together for purposes to be described later. From the bottom of the: shell 3 a piston or trunk part i@ extends into the in terior of the projectile and into a. suitable cavity or bore of the stem part il which extends from shell part 3 from the body member 2 whereby the projectile is dismembered and laying out of the individual mines is started.

Due to centrifugal forces caused by the rotation of the projectile, which rotation is produced by the riing of the gun, the individual mines 4 separate themselves following an outward moving spiral path. This phase of the laying out operation is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The body 2 with the stem and the shell 3 follow for some more time the direction of the original path of the projectile and then fall to the ground.

At rst the individual mines remain in compact condition in which the cups or capsules 8 are held together and to the wire spools 1 by means of slow burning time fuses I5 which fuses are Wound around the upper rims of the capsules and which fuses are connected for ignition with the charge I2 by means of channels I6 in stem li. The end of the fuse l5 which extends into the channel i6 is ignited as soon as the charge i2 is ignited. When the fuse l5 is completely burnt the cup 8 opens somewhat and disconnects it from wire spool Due to increased air friction the cup is removed from the parachute 9 which is then free to unfold'. The mine 6 with the coiled wire keeps on moving whereby, due to the retarding action ofthe parachute, the'wire in unwound from the spool and stretched out. This phase of the laying out operation is shown in Figure 6. Finally, the mine proper 6 drops down bringing the wire 1 into substantially vertical position. Figure 7 is a diagrammatic showing of a fully laidout multimine having five individual aerial mines.

Figures 3 and 4 show a projectile in which the lindividual mines are not bundled but piled on top of each other. The projectile shown, by way of example, contains four mines whereby the foremost forms the projectile body. The individual mines consist of the mines proper I8, I9 and '20, the last forming the head piece of the projectile. Each mine proper is connected individually with one end of a coiled up wire 21,22, 23

and 2|! respectively, the other end of which is dially split resilient ring 31, 38 and 39 is inserted respectively. yThe other half of said ,ring rests in annular grooves provided in the stem 29. The individual mines are thereby held in positionv with respect to the stem. v

Laying out of the mine takes place as follows: At a predetermined moment the time fuse I ignites the.fuse 40 which extends through the stem down to the separating charge 4| and ignites the latter. The resulting gas pressure pulls oiI the shell. Thereby the bottom mine I1 is freed and due to air friction removed from stem 2,9 pulling the wire 2| from its spool. For the 2,274,655 the body member 2 into the interior of sneu s.Y

present, the other mines remain on the stem. This phase of the layingout operation is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 8. After wire 2| is completely unwound the parachute 25 is pulled from `the sternwith and out of its capsule 30. Under the influence of the air current the parachute unfolds.

As soon as capsule is pulled from the stem 29, the spring ring 3l is freed and snaps out of engagement with the stem 29. Then the next mine |8, 22, 26 is freed and unfolded in the same manner as was mine I1, 2|, 25. Thereafter the mine I9, 23, 2l is unfolded. The top mine 28, 24, 2|l unfolds in reverse manner, i. e. at first the parachute 28 is unfolded, then the wire 2li` is unwound because of its own inertia and the forward movement of member 2, 20 whereafter the mine proper 20 stretches the wire out completely. Since the last mine is laid out along the descending path of the projectile it is right away in correct position. Figure 9 shows an intermediate phase'of the laying out operation.

Figure 10 diagrammatically illustrates the curtain laid out by means of a projectile following a atpath and Fig. 11, the curtain laid out by means of a projectile shot up to follow-a steep -path. In Figs-8 to l1 the path of the projectile While I believe the above described embodiments of my invention to be preferred embodiments, I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of design and construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

I claim: 1. An air defense device comprising a projectile having-a shell and a substantially pointed headpiece, a stem member rigidly connected with said being disposed within said shell and around said stem member, and a separating charge disposed between said mines for separating lsaid shell from said mines and said mines from one another and from said stem member. 2. An air defense device comprising a projectile having a shell including a`closed bottom portion and an open top, a substantially pointed headpiece for closing the open top of said shell having a substantial. rigid and permanent stem portion extending centrally into said shell, a p lurality of individual air mines disposed within said shell and around said stem portion, each mine consisting of a mine proper, a folded parachute, and a long and thin wire connected to and interconnecting said mine proper and said para.- chute and being tightly wound into a compact spool body adapted to remain a compact spoolV body from which the wire is gradually pulled off while said body moves through the air by its own inertia after disassembly of the projectile in the air, and a bursting charge disposed substantially at the end of said stem portion and inside said bottom portion for separating said shell from said ymines and liberatngsaid mines.

3. An air defense device comprising a projectile including a shell having a bottom portion and an open top, a head piece for closing the open top of said shell having a stem member extending centrally into said shell and having a ared out end portion fitting into said bottom portion, a plurality of individual air mines disposed within said shell and around sad stem member between said head piece and said ared out end portion, each mine comprising a mine proper having a longitudinal conical outside conguration, the large diameter end of said mine proper being located adjacent to said head piece, a long and thin wire connected at one end with said mine proper and tightly wound around said mine proper nand forming a solid spool body of substantially cylindrical'outside configuration, and a para- V tile including a shell having a closed bottom portion and an open top, a headpiece for closing the open top of said shell having a stem member extending centrally into said shell, a plurality of individual air mines disposed within said shell and around said stem member, each mine comprisingr a mine proper having a longitudinal conical outside configuration, the large diameter end oi? said mine proper being located adjacent to said head piece, a long and thin Wire connected at one end with said mine proper and beiner tightly wound around said mine proper and forming a solid spool body of substantiaily cylindrical outside configuration, a parachute connected with the other end of said wire and being folded up anddisposed in line with 'and adjacent to that end oi said spool body which is wound around the small diameter end of said mine proper, and

a resiliently self-opening container member enveloping said folded parachute and tightly tting between said stem member and said shell, and a bursting charge disposed inside of the end portion of said stern member and between the bottom portion of said shell and said stem member for separating said shell from said stem member and liberating said air mines and said container members. v

5. An air defense device comprising a projectile including a shell having a bottom portion and an open top, a head piece for closing the open top of said shell having a stem member extending centrally into said shell, a plurality of individual air mines disposed within said shell and around said stem member, each mine comprising a mine proper having a longitudinal'conical outside configuration, the large diameter end of said mine proper` being located adjacent to said head piece, a long and thin wire connected at one end with said mine proper and being tightly wound around said mine proper and forming a solid spool body of substantially cylindrical outside configuration, a parachute connected with the other end of said Wire and being folded up and disposed in line with and adjacent to that end of said spool body which is Wound around the small diameter end of said mine proper. a resiliently self-opening container member surrounding'the end portion of said spool body wound around the small diameter end of said mine proper and also surrounding said folded parachute, a bursting charge disposed inside the end portion of said stem member and between said stem memberV and the inside of said bottom portion for separating said shell from said stem member and liberating said air mines, and time fuses connected for ignition with said bursting charge and individually wound around said container members for individuaily tightly holding said container members to said spool bodies and to said folded parachutes and. for individually setting said container members free for opening andsaid spool bodies free for unwinding and said parachutes free for unfolding as soon as said fusesare burnt. Y

ERICH BI 

